Food for Thought: Amazing Medicinal Mushrooms

Fungi, including mushrooms, are peculiar forms of life. They pop up, seemingly overnight, out of nowhere. We share more DNA with mushrooms than with plants, and because of this connection, we can easily utilize compounds from these beneficial mushrooms for total body support. This fact may be why many of the components that help mushrooms defend themselves against their enemies also support your body’s defense mechanisms and are increasingly being seen as a legitimate means to enhance your health and well-being.

Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in cultures around the world, particularly in Asian countries. Now, modern scientists are discovering some fascinating healing properties of mushrooms. And more than a hundred species of mushrooms are currently being studied across and around the world today for their potential health benefits.

MUSHROOM HEALTH FACTS:

All mushrooms contain beta glucans, which have been found to help fight inflammation and aid the immune system.

Mushrooms are thought to protect against breast and other hormone-related cancers because they inhibit an enzyme called aromatase, which produces estrogen.

Mushrooms also contain a type of lectins that recognize cancer cells and prevent these cells from growing and dividing. (Lectins, a type of carbohydrate-binding protein, have gotten a bad reputation in certain circles. But some of them, such as the ones in mushrooms, can be highly beneficial.)

Mushrooms are powerful antioxidants. Promisingly, many mushrooms also contain powerful ingredients that have been found to neutralize free radicals.

Mushrooms can enhance your immune system. They boost both the levels and activity of many vital components of your immune system – and may even “prime” immune cells so that they become more effective in responding to future infections and attacks.

Mushroom studies have shown they can also be useful in managing safe levels of blood sugar. The study also found that they contribute to lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

Certain Medicinal Mushrooms can support brain health. Potent compounds shown to activate a very important peptide (a small protein) known as “nerve growth factor” or NGF. NGF is necessary for the growth, maintenance, and survival of the neurons in your brain. These compounds stimulate your neurons to re-grow and trigger a process known as re-myelination, which helps to keep your neurons healthy and maintains their ability to conduct electrical signals efficiently.
Mushrooms don’t just help you live longer. They can also help you live better – and stronger. Certain extracts have been shown to dilate the aorta – the main artery in your body that supplies oxygenated blood to your entire circulatory system – by up to 40%, thereby increasing blood flow and greatly enhancing endurance.

We truly have so much to learn about the potential of nature’s pharmacy however the health care system of today simply discredits most of what they call “alternative medicine” and some even refer to it as “voodoo herbs”. The value mushrooms can be a great partner for the search for optimal health. They offer safe, very potent, and contain effective ingredients within their structure that should be revered by all those who practice health.

AMAZING MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms are amazing and can flourish in the harshest of environments, they are immune to almost all infections and they have been on this earth as far back as dinosaurs so they can be considered one of our finest teachers. The list of what is considered some of the most potent and valuable medicinal mushrooms for any health program are the following:

• Shiitake: These meaty and flavorful mushrooms contain a substance which encourages body tissues to absorb cholesterol and lower the amount circulating in the blood. Shiitakes also have anti-bacterial, anti-candida, anti-tumor, anti-viral, lower blood pressure, blood sugar modulator, immune enhancer, kidney tonic, liver tonic, sexual potentiator, and stress reducer.
• Cordyceps: A Chinese fungus used as a tonic and restorative. It is also known for improving athletic performance. It is anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-viral, lowers blood pressure, blood sugar moderator, aids in cardio-vascular issues, cholesterol reducer, immune enhancer, kidney tonic, liver tonic, helps with lungs and respiratory issues, nerve tonic, sexual potentiator, and stress reducer.
• Maitake: This delicious Japanese mushroom is also called “hen of the woods” because it grows in big clusters that resemble the fluffed tail feathers of a nesting hen. It is an anti-bacterial, anti-candida, anti-tumor, anti-viral, lowers blood pressure, blood sugar moderator, cholesterol reducer, immune enhancer, aids with lungs and respiratory issues.
• Reishi: Strictly a medicinal mushroom, not a culinary one, reishi is woody, hard, and bitter. Like maitake and other related mushrooms species, reishi can improve immune function and inhibit the growth of some malignant tumors. It also shows significant anti-inflammatory effects, reduces allergic responsiveness, and protects the liver. The list for what Reishi can help with, is very long. It is anti-bacterial, anti-candida, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-viral, lowers blood pressure, bloods sugar moderator, helps with cardio-vascular issues, cholesterol reducer, immune enhancer, kidney tonic, liver tonic, aids with lungs and respiratory issues, nerve tonic, and stress reducer.
• Lion’s Mane: Mushroom health benefits can also come from this nontoxic medicinal and culinary mushroom, which is believed to stimulate nerve growth. It also may improve mild cognitive impairment. It is also anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and an immune enhancer.
• Turkey Tail: a purely medicinal mushroom with proven anticancer effects. It is also anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-viral, immune enhancer, kidney tonic, and a liver tonic.
• Chaga: a distinctive fungus causing a black mass on birch trees. This mushroom has been used for the treatment of tuberculosis, ulcers, digestive, heart and liver cancers. It is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-viral, blood sugar moderator, an immune enhancer, and a liver tonic.

What Can You Do With This Knowledge?

Mushrooms are potent health-boosters, and their documented benefits are extraordinary. The mushrooms discussed in this article are considered safe and relatively non-toxic.
But unless you’re a trained mycologist it is not recommended to begin harvesting them in the wild because some wild mushrooms are poisonous. There are so many varieties, species, and subspecies that a simple mistake could result in severe consequences or even death.

You may be able to find fresh shiitake or Lion’s Mane mushrooms in a local or specialty grocery store (and they’re both delicious!). But some of the most potent medicinal mushrooms can be bitter or may be difficult to find. Plus, many health experts recommend combining multiple medicinal mushrooms for their synergistic effect.

If you’re going to take a mushroom supplement, you want to look for a manufacturer that offers 100% organic mushroom extracts and supplements, produced, stored, and packaged under strict guidelines to preserve their nutrient content and overall effectiveness.
And what about the common “table mushrooms” like button, crimini, portobello, or oyster? There is considerable evidence that all edible mushrooms, even the most common grocery store varieties, have potent health-boosting properties. But the most powerful may be the medicinal mushrooms described in this article.

So, enjoy your mushrooms! Your body will thank you for the rest of your life. If you have any more questions about the great properties of mushrooms, don’t hesitate to contact us.